Argyranthemum frutescens cultivar Suparosa.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Argyranthemum plant, botanically known as Argyranthemum frutescens and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Suparosaxe2x80x99.
The new Argyranthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact Argyranthemum cultivars with numerous inflorescences, interesting inflorescence form, and attractive ray floret coloration.
The new Argyranthemum originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor of a proprietary selection of Argyranthemum frutescens identified as code number X96.143.1, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with a proprietary selection of Argyranthemum frutescens identified as code number X97.387.1, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Argyranthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia in October, 1999. The selection of the new Argyranthemum was based on its single daisy inflorescence form and pink-colored ray florets.
Asexual reproduction of the new Argyranthemum by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia since October, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Argyranthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The new Argyranthemum has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of xe2x80x98Suparosaxe2x80x99 and distinguish the new Argyranthemum as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Compact, mounded, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit, dense and bushy plants.
3. Freely flowering habit with numerous inflorescences per plant.
4. Single daisy inflorescence form with red purple-colored ray florets that fade to light pink with subsequent development.
5. Red-colored immature disc florets that become bright yellow with subsequent development.
Plants of the new Argyranthemum are more compact and have lighter colored ray florets than plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Argyranthemum differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in ray floret coloration.
Plants of the new Argyranthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Cobsing, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/996,381. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Argyranthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Cobsing in the following characteristics:
1. Inflorescences of plants of the new Argyranthemum were held higher above the foliage than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Cobsing.
2. Plants of the new Argyranthemum had darker colored ray florets than plants of the cultivar Cobsing.
3. Immature disc florets of plants of the new Argyranthemum were red in color whereas immature disc florets of plants of the cultivar Cobsing were bright yellow in color.